New Sizzix Goodies!

Look what th Fed-Ex man just delivered. Aren't these awesome? Now you can stamp and then die cut your stamped image. Can't wait to play with these. Limited quantities so hurry in and grab yours:)

It's snowing indoors.....!

OK...it's not really snowing ....but there is Polar White Flowersoft floating around everywhere in here after making this window card! I made the first part of the card last week using one of the Sizzix Movers and Shapers dies to cut the window in the card. The "glass" is a piece of transparency which I added white flowersoft to. It looks like real snow and if you look closely, you can see Santa has just arrived down the chimney inside the card. The front of the card was embossed using Tim Holtz' brick wall texture fades folder. I sponged the edges with walnut stain and added a bit more Flowersoft to the bottom edge of the card. The sentiment was stamped and framed with one of the die cuts from Tim's Tag and Bookplates die. I had so much fun making this card and I'm sure the ladies who come to class will enjoy creating their own version. I used a new clear stamp from Prima to make the second card. The image was heat embossed then cut out with a scalloped circle Nestabilities die. I added silver dots to the scallops with a gel pen and tried a new ribbon treatment in place of the usual bow. It's simple to do and not as bulky for mailing. The background was embossed using the Cuttlebug snowflakes embossing folder. Now I'm off to make card number 3, which will feature the new Glitter Ritz "burnished velvet" technique. So....in a little while, it will be snowy AND sparkly in here!.......and people wonder why I love to come to work...LOL!

The new fall issue is here!

The brand new Fall issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today magazine is here and it's FREE with a purchase of $20 or more. Sometimes I forget to mention it when customers come in so please remind me to give you a copy when you take your next class or buy some new goodies. Yesterday the power was out for hours so I didn't get any of my Christmas samples made for next week's class. I may be a bit late uploading them here but I can promise you at least one card featuring some super gorgeous Glitter-Ritz. I'm still experimenting with this new product....so many techniques, so little time! I've gone home sparkly for the last few days so be prepared!!!! Only 13 weeks until Christmas....I can't believe I'm saying that but it's true. Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

Mix and match edgabilities from Spellbinders

These just arrived yesterday and I haven't played with them yet, but check out the videos at spellbinderspaperarts and be sure to let me know if this is something you'd be interested in. Better still...put them on your Christmas Wish List:) New Craft Concepts embossing folders are here along with Glitter Ritz Ultra Fine glitter in 12 gorgeous colours. I'm off to play with them so we can use them in next week's Christmas card class. Stay tuned....

Long leaves

I rarely make long cards because there is so much wasted cardstock, but every now and then I get tired of making standard size cards and attempt something different. This layout was a real challenge for me because of the length and narrowness of the card, but I'm happy with the way it turned out. I used distress inks over patterned paper for the leaves. The sentiment is from a new stamp set, but another sentiment can be substituted if anyone wants to use the card for a specific occasion. Now to try and get the ink off my fingers.....again:)

A quiet week.

It's been very quiet in the store this week so I have a couple of cards ready for next week's class already. I used the spellbinders shapeabilities dies to make the birds on the first card. The patterned paper is actually the back of some Halloween paper. It's amazing how often I end up using the "back" side of the paper for my cards. I love the black and aqua colours together and it worked nicely with the floral fantasy embossing folder. The "Bee Thankful" card could also be Bee Happy. I got this cute little stamp set from a class I took in Chicago and this is the first time I've inked it up. I used paper from Basic Grey's Max and Whiskers Collection which has kind of a fall colour palette. Both of these are quick and easy cards, so I may have to come up with something a bit more challenging for card number three. Stay tuned!

Here are two more cards we'll make in class this week. The top one uses the "kissing" technique. If you haven't tried this one before, it's a great way to get more mileage out of stamps you have sitting around feeling unloved...lol! You need a solid, silhouette type stamp and a line art stamp. I used the leaf stamp for the solid and inked it up with a lighter colour of ink. Then I inked up a script type stamp with a darker colour and "kissed" the two together. I used distress inks so the ink stays wet enough to stamp, but if you use regular dye based inks, you may need to re moisten the ink before stamping, by breathing or "huffing" onto the inked stamp. The line image transfers onto the solid stamp and adds some extra interest and dimension. I used the Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves die to cut out leaves from Kraft glassine paper for the second card. This paper is so much fun to play with. the more you scrunch it up and wrinkle it, the more leathery it becomes. The wrinkles will accept ink, which I added by swiping a memnto dew drop inkpad over the leaf. The panel behind the leaves was run through the Cuttlebug using a Tim Holtz Texture Fades embossing folder which had a tree bark pattern. As trip of dotted swiss cardstock and three little matching brads and there's our third "leafy catd for the week. Hope you can join us to make these. Tuesday OR Thursday evening at 6:30 pm or Wednesday morning at 10:30 am. Call or e-mail if you plan to join us:)

Indian Summer

It's pouring rain today, but I'm looking forward to those crisp fall days ahead, so I thought I'd use Basic Grey's Indian Summer paper to make a card for next week's class. This paper has been around for a while, but I don't have too much left and I really love the colours! I also used Tim Holtz' Tattered Leaves die to cut out the leaf, which I ran through the Cuttlebug in the D'vine Swirls embossing folder and popped up with foam dots. I got the layout from the sketch challenge on Splitcoast Stampers today and I like it so much I may just use it for the other two cards...we'll see!

Watercolour class with Linda

I'm taking a week off from classes next week so I don't have any new cards to share with you, but here are the cards that Linda designed for her upcoming watercolour class on Saturday September 17th at 1 pm. Aren't they beautiful? Space is limited so be sure to book early. The store will be closed on Monday September 5th for Labour Day. Have a wonderful long weekend:)